Collection

This
collection focusses on the cuisine and rituals of dinner events, in both
restaurants and on certain carriers between 1853 and the 2000s. More
specifically, it illustrates culinary preferences, the ingredients available,
the dishes served in restaurants and on board certain carriers, the cost of
meals, and the customs and decorum associated with serving meals during the 19th,
20th and 21st centuries. The collection also chronicles the dinner
activities of clubs and associations, as well as banquets and receptions held
on holidays or to commemorate individuals and events. Furthermore, it documents
the advertising approaches of certain restaurants, the opinions expressed by certain
restaurant critics and tourism-related food trends.

The
majority of the documents are from the Montreal region, but several other
cities are represented as well, including London, Paris, Ottawa, Cologne and
Quebec City. The collection contains menus, invitations, gala programs and
lists of toasts, seating plans, flyers, tourist and promotional brochures,
press clippings and guides. Most of these records are printed documents.